Jimmy Carter: I'd pick Trump over Cruz

Jimmy Carter would pick Donald Trump over Ted Cruz, but he doesn't think Trump will make it that far.

“I think I would choose Trump, which may surprise some of you,” the former Democratic president said during an appearance at Britain’s House of Lords on Wednesday afternoon. He was asked who he would pick for the GOP nomination.

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“The reason is, Trump has proven already he’s completely malleable,” Carter explained. “I don’t think he has any fixed [positions] he’d go the White House and fight for. On the other hand, Ted Cruz is not malleable. He has far-right wing policies he’d pursue if he became president.”

“When people actually get ready to put on a ballot, ‘This is the person I want to lead me for the next four or eight years, I think they’ll have a little different opinion,’” Carter said, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Trump got his first dose of not winning Monday where he came in behind Cruz in the Iowa caucuses. He has since accused Cruz’s campaign of stealing votes after members of Cruz’s team told voters that the retired neurosurgeon had dropped out of the race. Cruz has since apologized for not following up after the reports were proved false.

Carter also wouldn’t share which of the two Democrats — who came within a fraction of a point of one another in Iowa — he would support.

“Bernie Sanders has had a remarkable showing, particularly among young people. In Iowa, he had 85 percent of young people’s [support],” Carter said. “I don’t know what the final result will be. My own personal opinion is that it’s very likely Hillary Clinton will still prevail in the Democratic party. Of course, I’m a Democrat and I will support the [Democratic Party’s] nominee.”